TS 1725 
.P5 



FACTS WORTH KNOWING 



ABOUT 

Householcl Linen 



AND 



COLLECTION 



OF 



Recipes for Removing Stains 



(^(' 



^ 



1921 

COMPILED BY 
W. G . Pi LG RAM 

14.5 NASSAU ST. 
NEW YORK CITY. N. Y. 



COI>lBS FXFTY C K NT » 



COPYRIGHT 1921 
WILUAM G. PILGRAM 



FACTS WORTH KNOWING 

ABOUT 

Household Linen 

AND 

COLLECTION 

OF 

Recipes for Removing Stains 






1921 

COMPILED BY 

W. G. PILGRAM 

1 45 Nassau St. 
new york city. n. v. 






^^ 



D E D I C A TED 

TO THE 

LADIES OF AMERICA 

Who Admire Fine Linens 



7 J 



■0)CU611445 
MAR 26 m\ ■ 



PREFACE 



< >» 



It is my pleasure to visit, in the capacity of my profes- 
sion as an expert appraiser, many of the richest hom.es in Amer- 
ica, containing as they undoubtedly do, some of the finest exam- 
ples of antiques, objets d'art, etc. Advice is frequently sought 
by clients relative to the care, cleaning and restoration of these 
works of fine arts, to whom it has been my gratification to afford 
information, gained by personal experience and in applying vari- 
ous recipes, which, as a hobby, I have been collecting for many 
years. 

In order to ansv/er the numerous inquiries received from time 
to time, I have gathered and compiled these recipes and am en- 
couraged in publishing them in pamphlet form, in the hope that 
they may be of both interest and service to those who take pride 
in personally supervising the care of their valuable and rare be- 
longings. 

This issue applies to fine linens, whilst subsequent articles 
will embrace: — 

Laces 

F'lrniture 

Bionze and Metal Omamtents 

Marble and Allied Ornaments 

C^ina and Glassware 

Rugs and Carpets 

Prints and Pictures 

Books and Manuscripts 



W. G. PILGRAM New York, 1921 



INDEX 

^ 

Page 

How To Tell Linen 6 

New Linen 6 

Substitutes 6 

Bleaching - 6 

Firsts 7 

Origin of Names 8 

Perfume for Linen Closets, etc 9 

Delicate Woolens (clean) - 9 

Fine Muslins (wash) „ 9 

Delicate Colored Linens (wash) 9 

Linen Blinds (clean) 9 

Marking Ink (Use of) 9 

RECIPES FOR REMOVING STAINS - 



Caution « 10 

Automobile Grease _ 10 

Acid 10 

Blood 10 

Chocolate ; 10 

Coffee with Cream 10 

Coffee 10-1 

Cream 1 

Candle Wax 1 

Cocoa 1 

Egg 1 

Fruit 1 

Grease 12 

Grass 12 

Ink Marking 13 

Ink 13-14 

Ink (red) 14 

Iron 14 

Cont. 



4 



INDEX Cont. 

Marking Ink 14-15 

Medicine 15 

Mildew 15 

Machine Oil 15 

Old Stains 18 

Old Paint (see Paint old) 16 

Pitch 16 

Port Wine (see Wine Port) 16 

Perfume 16 

Peach 16 

Pear 16 

Paint 16 

Paint (Old) 17 

Rust 17 

Red Wine (see Wine red) 17 

Red Ink 17 

Scortch - 17 

Set Stains (see Old Stains) 17 

Storing 17 

Tallow 18 

Tar 18 

Tea 18 

Tea (creamed) 18 

Turpentine 18 

Wagon Grease 18 

White Linen, yellow from age _ 19 

Wine 19 

Wine (Port) 19 

Wax 19 

Yellow from Age 19 

Wedding J 20 

Anniversaries f ^"""^^ 

5 



How to Tell 
Linen 



HOW TO TELL LINEN, ETC. 

Draw one or two threads, and if they 
break immediately the linen is of inferior 
quality, either injured by rapid bleaching or 
is part cotton. If you can draw a thread 
each way, a quarter of a yard, it is good; 
the longer the thread drawn, the better the 
linen. 



New Linen 
Bleaching 

Substitutes 



Pull a thread and break it, if cotton it 
has a tufted end, linen breaks with a long 
pointed end. 



Linen tears quickly with a distinct sound, 
the edges are straight and smooth. 



The old fashioned test of dampening is 
not a sure test on account of the heavy 
dressings put in cottons and inferior linens. 
Any linen becomes translucent under a drop 
of glycerine or olive oil, while cotton re- 
mains opaque. 



Cotton tears less readily than linen and 
with curled up edges. 



Cotton is rougher and warmer than linen 
which feels cool. 



It is better to wash new linen before be- 
ing put into use. 



Boil in buttermilk. Rinse in warm water 
and hang in sun. 



Linen is often mixed with tow, v/hich is 
the short broken off fibres combed out in 
the preparation of "line," which is the long 
lustrous fine linen fibre from which all su- 
perior linen is made. 

6 



<^ FIRSTS ^ 

Paper made from cotton in the year 1000 

Cotton cloth first made at Kendal 1390 

Spinning wheel first in use by Jergensr 1530 

Steel needles made in England by a Negro, 1545 

Cotton spinning machine invented 1767 

Cot'ton spinning frame invented 1769. 

Cotton spinning gin invented 1793 

Sewing machine invented by E. Howe, America, 1841 

Linen was known to ancient Egyptians, first made in England 
under Henry III. by Flemish weavers. 

Linen manufactured in England 1571 

Pins. Prehistoric, made of brass in England and France 1540 
Made by machinery in England 1824 

Loom (power) invented by Cartwright 1785 

Loom invented by Jacquard 1801 

Loom (steam) introduced 1807 

Stocking frame invented 1589 

Thimbles invented 1695 then called thumb bells. 

Handkerchiefs are square — by order of Louis XVI. 
to pleai^e Marie Antoinette in 1785 

7 



ORIGIN OF NAMES 



Alpaca — from an animal in Peru j 

Baize — from Bajac 

Bandanna — an Indian word to bind or tie ] 

Buckram — from Fostat, an old city of Cairo ' 

Blanket — after Thomas Blanket in England, 1340 j 

Cambric — from Cambraid, France ) 

Calico — from Calicut, India ' 

Drugget — from Drogheda, Ireland 

Dimity — from Damietta : 

Damask — from Damascus, Asia 

Diaper — from Greek word diaspron 

Gauze — from Gaza, Syria 

Jeans — from Jean 

Linen — from (Botanical name Linaria) Latin (linum) Flax 

Muslin — from Mosul, Asia ) 

Satins — from Zaytown, China 

Serge— from Xerga, Spanish word 

Shawl — from Sanscrit, sata (floor) ; they were first used as I 

carpets and tapestries 

Taffeta — from a street in Bagdad \ 

Velvet — from the Italian Vellute 



WOOLENS, MUSLINS, ETC. 



Perfume for 
Linen Closets, etc. 



Fine Muslins 
Delicate 



Delicate 
Woolens 



Delicate Colored 
Linens, wash 



Linen Blinds 



Marking Ink 
(use of) 



Use rose leaves dried in the shade, add 
one pound cloves, caraway seeds and all- 
spice, pound in a mortar, mix well and put 
up in bags. 



Dissolve one tablespoonful of borax in a 
gallon of tepid water, soak muslin for 
half an hour then put in soapsuds and rub 
gently, then pour boiling water over them 
and leave till cool, rinse and squeeze, do 
not wring. 



To clean without washing, put into dry 
basin a few handsful of wheat flour and rub 
gently into the fabric, shake and air. 



To prevent them from fading use plenty 
of pulverized borax in the water. 



Lay flat, cover thickly with powdered 
French chalk and scrub with dry nail brush. 



Make a little cold water starch, dip in 
part to be marked, rub over with hot iron 
until dry, then mark. 

Prevents ink spreading. 



RECIPES FOR REMOVING STAINS 



Caution 



Automobile 
Grease 

Acid 
Blood 



Blood (New) 
Blood (Old) 
Chocolate 

Chocolate 
Chocolate 

Coffee 
with Cream, 

Coffee 
Coffee 



Valuable or antique pieces should have 
professional care. 

Never put any article into hot soapsuds 
or wash until all stains have been re- 
moved, or they will become set. 

Recipes marked for expert use, should be 
used with special care, or the article rent to 
cleaners. 



Rub in butter until it softens, then hot 
water and soapsuds. 

Ammonia or chloroform. 

Soak in salt and water for some hours, 
then wring out and rub in moist salt, wash 
in ordinary way with soap and water, boil, 
rinse and dry in sunshine. 

Soak when fresh in cold water. 

Cold water and raw starch. 

Soak in cold water, then pour boiling 
water or from a height. 

Soak in kerosene and v/ash in cold water. 

Sprinkle with borax and warm water, 
soak one hour, then rinse with warm water. 

Pour cold water through. 



Pour boiling water through. 

Rub with glycerine, rinse in lukewarm 
water, press on wrong side. 

10 



\ 



Coffee Rub with butter, wash with hot water and 

soap. 

Coffee Cover with powdered borax, hold over 

bowl and pour boiling water through. 

Cream Cold water. 

Candle Wax Place a piece of blotting paper on spot 

and rub with warm iron, change paper often. 

Cocoa Sprinkle with borax and warm water, soak 

one hour, rinse in boiling water. 

Cocoa Treat at once, stretch over basin, pour 

boiling water through, then dip into cold 
water. Repeat till stain disappears. 

Egg Soak in cold water. 

Fruit Soak when fresh in milk, pour boiling 

water over stain and use oxalic acid (ex- 
pert use only). 

Fruit Smear with glycerine, leave for about an 

hour, then wash in warm soapy water. 

Fruit Rub with butter then wash with hot 

water and soap. 

Fruit Equal parts of ammonia and peroxide. 

Fruit Apply powdered starch and leave on till 

stain has been absorbed. 

Fruit Pour boiling water from a height. 

Fruit ^^^ ounce of sal-ammoniac (or harts- 

horn) and one ounce salt of tartar, mix well, 
put all into a pint of soft water and keep in 
linen room ready for use (expert use only). 

11 



Grease 
Grease 

Grease 

Grease 

Grease 
Grease 

Grease 
Grease 

Grease 
Grease 

Grass 
Grass 

Grass 



Salt in a little ammonia. 

Rub v/ith warm flour, bru^h off and 
renew. 

Cold water. 

Cold rain water and soap. 

Raw starch and hot iron. 

Mix two ounces of ammonia, one ounce 
castile soap shavings, one quart salt water 
and one teaspoonful of saltpeter. 

Rub with French chalk or Fuller's earth. 

Apply eucalyptus oil with a clean piece of 
flannel. Rub gently. 

Rub well with a lump of magnesia, let it 
dry, then brush off. 

Saturate with turpentine. Put in between 
two pieces of blotting paper and press 
lightly. 

Apply cold water and ammonia at once. 

Saturate with kerosene then wash with 
hot water and plenty of soap. 

Alcohol, molasses or lard, and wash in 
water. 



Grass 



Wash with naptha soap and warm water. 



Ink (Marking) See Marking Ink 

Ijit This must be done before the articles are 

washed. 

Pick some tallow from a new candle, rub 
it on the spot cold, leave it on till the next 
day or longer, then wash at once and boil 
(use only on white articles). 

Ink Dissolve 10 grains oxalic acid in half pint 

water, wet the spot with liquid, wash im- 
mediately in clean cold water. 

Ink One ounce of sul-ammoniac (or harts- 

horn) and one ounce salt of tartar, mix well, 
put all into a pint of salt water and keep in 
linen room ready for use. 

jjjjj Pour tablespoonful of kerosene on and nib 

well, then rinse in kerosene. 

Ink Turpentine and soap. 

IjjIj Starch, flour or commeal and replaced 

with fresh layer as rapidly as it becomes dis- 
colored, then rub with lemon juice, finally 
sponge off with clear cold water, use lemon 
juice second time if necessary. 

IjjJj Soak in milk for half an hour, then rub 

with lemon dipped in milk, wash in cold 
water. 

IjjJj Soak in strong salt water, rinse with am- 

monia, repeat if necessary. 

Ink Soak in glycerine for twelve hours, then 

wash in hot water, soap and soda. 

13 



Ink 




Ink 




Ink 




Ink (Red) 


Iron 




Iron Mould 


Iron Mould 


Iron 


Rust 


Iron 


Rust 


Iron 


Rust 



Iron Rust (Wet) 

Ink Rust 

Iodine 

Iodine 

Marking Ink 



Sour Milk. 

Salt and lemon juice. 

Moisten with Javelle water, wash tho- 
roughly with soap and water as soon as 
spots disappear. 

See Red Ink. 

Soak in cold water half-hour, cover thick- 
ly with laundry soap, then wash in cold 
water. 

Moisten with Javelle water, wash at once 
in cold v/ater or sponge. 

Sprinkle with lemon juice, expose to sun 
and air, repeat. 

Juice of one lemon, two teaspoonsful of 
salt, cup of water when boiling dip in 
stained part. 

Hot solution of oxalic acid. Table spoon- 
ful of acid to one pint of water. 

Equal parts of peroxide and household 
ammonia. 

Wring out, dip a wet finger in oxalic acid 
and rub, then dip in salt and rub on, hold 
over steam, from kettle, rinse at once. 

Lemon and salt, set in sun to bleach. 

Dip it in liquid ammonia. 

Wet with cold water, place near radiator 
and the heat will draw it out. 

Squeeze the juice from two onions, cut up 
half an ounce of soap, two ounces of Ful- 
ler's earth and half-pint vinegar, stir mix- 
ture till it boils, when cool lay the marked 
linen in sunshine, spread the mixture on and 
let it dry, then wash and boil. 

14 



Marking Ink Wet small quantity of chloride of lime 

with warm water, rub on with finger, repeat 
till mark disappears, wash out immediately. 
(For experts only.) 

Marking Ink Oxalic acid rubbed on after the mark has 

been wet with warm water. (For experts 
only.) 

Marking Ink Salt of sorrel rubbed on after mark has 

been wet vx^ith warm water. 



Medicine 
Mildew 

Mildew 
Mildew 



Mildew 




Mildew 
Mildew 




Machine 


Oil 


Machine 


Oil 


Machine 


Oil 



Soak in alcohol. 

Rub with salt, sprinkle with powdered 
French chalk and moisten with water. Dry 
slowly in open air, then sponge with clean 
cold water. 

Mix small quantity of soft soap with same 
proportion of powdered starch and salt, add 
juice of a lemon, apply both sides of stain 
with soft brush. Apply till removed. 

Use weak solution of chloride of lime, ap- 
ply with camels' hair brush, as stains vanish 
sponge with cold water. 

Lemon and salt (as iron rust). 

Javelle water. 

Boil in butter milk, rinse In warm water 
and hang in sun to dry. 

Rub with lard, leave for several hours, 
wash in cold water and soap. 

Wash in lather of soap made from cold 
water, and a tablespoonful of ammonia. 
(Not for colors.) 

Soak in cold water, then press with hot 
iron over absorbent paper. 

15 



Old Stains 
Old Stains 
Old Stains 

Old Stains 



Old Paint 
Pitch 

Port Wine 
Perfume 

Peach 

Peach 
Peach 

Pear 
Paint 
Paint 
Paint 



Pure ammonia. 
Pure peroxide. 

Weak solution of chloride of lime. Rinse 
the chloride of lime very thoroughly or it 
will rot the fabric. (For experts only.) 

Rub both sides with wet brown soap, 
mix some starch to a thick paste and spread 
over soaped places, then expose to sun and 
air, if the stains do not disappear in two or 
three days, rub off and repeat. Afterwards 
dry and then wet with cold water and wash. 

See Paint, Old. 

Scrape off as much as possible, soak with 
salad oil, leave on for a day, then wash in 
warm soap suds. 

See Wine, Port. 

Use rose leaves dried in the shade, one 
pound cloves, caraway seeds and all spice, 
pound in mortar, mix well and put up in 
bags. 

Wet with cold water and spread thickly 
with cream of tartar, then place in sun. 

Set out on frosty day. 

Wet with cold water, rub on soap, lay in 
hot sun, repeat. 

Set out on frosty day. 

Rub with turpentine on wrong side. 

Rub with benzine on wrong side. 

Vaseline. 
16 



Paint (old) 

Paint (old) 

Rust 

Red Wine 
Red Ink 

Scorch 

Scorch 
(very bad) 



Scorch 
(bad) 

Scorch 
(light) 



Set Stains 
Storing 



Saturate the spot with equal parts of tur- 
pentine and ammonia until removed, then 
wash in warm soap suds. (For experts 
only.) 

Cover spot with olive oil or butter, then 
rub with chloroform. 

Apply boiled rhubarb juice. 

See Wine, Red. 

Spread fresh made mustard and leave 
about one half-hour, sponge off. Repeat if 
not successful. 

Wet and expose to sunshine. 

If not charred, squeeze the juice from two 
large onions, add half-pint of vinegar, two 
ounces of Fuller's earth, half ounce of 
shredded soap. Simmer to a thick paste, 
spread thickly over the mark, let it dry, 
then wash out. Repeat if not successful at 
first. 

The mixture will keep in a dry place, well 
corked. 

Peroxide. 



One part peroxide and nine parts water, 
spread over spot, press with a warm iron 
until dry. 

See Old Stains. 

When getting linen ready for storing, al- 
ways remove all stains, wash and dry tho- 
roughly, spread flat without folding if pos- 
ble and above all use no starch. Use blue 
paper for covering or wrapping. 

17 



Tallow 

Tobacco 
Tar 

Tar 

Tea 
Tea 

Tea 
Tea 

Tea 
Tea 

Tea 

Tea Creamed 
Turpentine 

Wagon Grease 



Lay a piece of brown paper over stain and 
press with hot iron, miove paper as it ab- 
sorbs the grease. 

Cold water and soap. 

Scrape off as much as possible, soak with 
salad oil or butter, leave on for a day. Wash 
in strong warm soap suds. 

Scrape off as much as possible, rub in cold 
tallow, leave on for a day. Wash in strong 
warm soap suds. 

Do not use soap before removing spot. 

Stretch part over basin, rub some pow- 
dered borax well in, pour a quart of boil- 
ing water through. Dip the stained part into 
the water and let it remain until quite cold. 

Hot water poured on stain when fresh. 

Rub with lard, then with soap, leave for 
an hour, wash in hot water softened with 
ammonia. If any trace remains rub with 
turpentine. 

Rub with butter, wash with hot water and 
soap. 

Soak in water in which potatoes have 
been boiled before washing. 

Rub with glycerine before washing. 

Pour cold water through. 

Soak with salad oil, leave on for a day, 
then wash in warm soap suds. 

Rub in butter until it softens, then hot 
water and soap suds. 

18 



Wagon Grease 



Stale bread and lard. 



Whiten Linen 
Turned Yellow 



Wine 
Wine 

Wine 

Wine 

Wine 

Wine 

Wine, Port 
Wax 

Yellow from Age 
Yellow from Age 



Cut a pound of white soap into a gallon 
of milk and put over fire, when the soap has 
melted put in linen and boil for half-hour 
take pieces out and wash in lather of soap 
and warm water, rinse in two cold waters 
with a little blue in it. 

Wet with warm water and rub on mag- 
nesia, then wash. 

Stretch stained part over top of jug filled 
with boiling water and rub stain with ox- 
alic acid or cream of tartar or salts of lemon, 
then wash immediately. 

Equal parts, soft soap, slack lime and 
pearl ash, make in paste and rub in, and put 
in sun to dry, then wash immediately. (For 
experts only.) 

Put cream of tartar on stain and tie up, 
then put into cold water and soap. Bring to 
a boil, transfer to lukewarm suds, wash and 
rinse well, dry and iron. 

Dry salt on fresh stains, pour boiling 
water through them. 

Warm milk on old stains. 

Pour on sherry wine. 

Lay a piece of brown or blotting paper 
over them and press with hot iron, move 
paper as it absorbs the wax. 

Boil in buttermilk, rinse in warm water 
and hang in sun to dry. 

See White Linens Turned Yellow. 
19 



pb&ing AnnttifrBartpa 



H i n ^ n 



First Year— Cotton 



Seventh Year — Woolen 



Twelfth Year— Silk and Fine Linen 






20 



